Youth and Government Students Compete at State

More than 140 Duncanville ISD students recently traveled to
Austin to participate at the Youth and Government State competition, making
Duncanville the second largest school district in attendance.

Kennemer Middle School was named as a Premier Delegation,
and students were elected to four of the top six positions at the state
competition. Duncanville High School was also selected as a Premier Delegation,
an honor only given to the top 10 percent of schools.

During the state competition, students write bills and
present them in front of their peers. It is up to the “governor,” who is played
by a student participant, to decide which bills are passed. At this year’s
competition, the “governor” only passed four bills, one of them being a bill
from Amaris Joubert, an eighth-grader from Kennemer Middle School.

Joubert’s bill required the racial makeup of law enforcement
officers to be proportional to the racial breakdown of the community they are
serving. This was an issue of high importance to Joubert. After she presented
her bill, Joubert had to go back and talk to the “governor” to convince her
that the bill should be passed.

“My whole thing is to appeal to people’s sense of humanity.
When you get their feelings involved, allow them to really connect with the
cause, people will understand you better,” said Joubert.

Joubert said she wants to be the “wings of change” in our
society, and make the world a better place to live.

Kennemer eighth grader, Richel Murata was elected as the
President Pro-Temp of the Senate, where she led the highest section of the
program. Youth and Government has not only helped Murata learn more about the
way our government works, she said it has also improved her public speaking
skills andmade her more confident.

“Youth and Government helps you in every aspect of your
life. It helps you with your critical thinking skills and public speaking,”
Murata said. “Because of this program, I think more critically and my grades
have gone up.”

Congratulations to all of our Youth and Government students
at the intermediate, middle and high school levels. View a list of all the state
awards.